Collide
by peskyhumanity
Summary: She made him feel something. He broke her heart. Eight years later their paths cross but they live such different lives. Is this a second chance or just a blip in reality?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I'm back and I have no reason or excuse as to why I have been gone for such a long time. Please enjoy.

* * *

 **PROLOGUE** _ **  
**_

 _ **PRESENT DAY**_

 _ **CHICAGO, ILLINOIS**_

I wake up to the warm Chicago sun shining through my bedroom window as the smell of freshly made coffee fills my nose. I stretch my arms and turn onto my back. I feel the cold, empty spot in the bed next to me and sit up, throwing the comforter off of me. I slip out of bed in my oversized t-shirt and pink panties and walk to the bathroom.

I quickly brush my teeth and hair then head to the kitchen. There, I find a shirtless guy standing in front of the stove. I stand in silence for a moment or two, admiring the figure before me.

"What are you doing up this early?" I say with a smile, making my presence known. He turns around and flashes me one of his thousand-watt smiles.

"I know you had a tough day at work yesterday, so I thought that I would make you breakfast." He replies, turning and walking towards me.

"That's so very kind of you." I say while batting my eyelashes. He makes his way to me and slides his hands up my body and around my waist.

"I know you've been stressed a lot lately so I want to do anything that I can to help you with that." He whispers, leaving a small kiss on my nose.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." I wrap my arms around his neck and melt into his hug. "What are you making?" I ask, peeking at the stove behind him.

"Your favorite," he says through a laugh.

"French toast?" My eyes light up with excitement. "You know how to make it?"

"Well, I had to call your mom for some help, but I think it turned out good." He smiles.

"It smells great! I can't wait to try it." I push past him and start filling my plate.

"You know, I've been thinking…" he starts.

"Oh, no, that's not good." I say through a laugh while transferring a piece of French toast onto my plate.

"We haven't been home in a while. Haven't seen your parents… or mine." He mumbles, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Why would we do that?" I say with an uncomfortable tone to my voice. "Our life is here, in Chicago."

"I know that, babe, but it's also nice to visit home now and again." He sighs.

"You can go if you want to, I can't leave. Work won't let me take off any time." I make up an excuse.

I don't want to go home. I left for a reason. People, feelings, the town itself was suffocating me. I felt trapped. I couldn't breathe. So I took the first chance I got, and I ran. I got away from that small city of Mystic Falls, Virginia. I had history with that place. Bad history. High school was a nightmare in more ways than one and that ruined it for me. I needed a new start somewhere far away. To forget things…

"Actually…" he starts. I slowly turn around with a deadly look on my face.

"What did you do?" I whisper.

"I called your work and they gave you this weekend off. We have two tickets back home." He explains and I open my mouth to yell. "Before you say anything, Elena, it's just till Sunday afternoon. We leave Friday night and then we'll spend Saturday with your family and part of Sunday with mine."

"You can't just plan these things without me! I get to have a say in them too." I start raising my voice.

"But now this way, you can't and won't say no. Elena, it's barely a day and a half. Your parents deserve to see you." He says sympathetically. I stand there in silence for what seems like hours but eventually I let out a big breath.

"Fine" I say.

"Baby, it's gonna be fine!" He says as he plants a kiss on my lips.

"You're so freaking lucky that I love you, Aaron Whitmore."

* * *

"Stefan! Have you seen my pink t-shirt!" Liv yells throughout the apartment from the bedroom.

"No, Liv." I say from the living room with irritation clear in my voice. I don't care about her stupid pink shirt. And why the hell would I know where it was?

"Godammit, Stefan! It's under all your dirty clothes. Can you make yourself useful and do some damn laundry instead of sitting on your ass all day?!" Liv replies.

"Last time I checked, I was the one who made money in this house! All you do is spend everything I slave over." I yell back.

"Oh, suck it up! Money is meant to be spent." Liv gives some stupid excuse. This girl spends money like it was the air she breathes. Never has any regard for anyone but herself.

"Yeah, well you go tell that to the landlord who wants our months rent that you just spent on two pairs of shoes." I accuse her.

"Screw you, Stefan!" She screams while scrambling out of the room, squeezing into her dirty pink shirt.

I have no clue why I'm even with this girl. She's stubborn, annoying, takes all my money, and treats me like shit. But she's hot… and good in bed. I thought that this was all I deserve, all I'm good for. Second best. Not even second; maybe fifth or sixth. I know I messed it up with the best I could ever have. But that was years ago and there was nothing I can do about it now.

"Where are you going now? To spend more of my money on a new handbag?" I say, pushing her buttons in the best way I knew how to.

"None of your business," she grabs her jacket and slips into it. "I'll be home late, don't wait up."

I watch the front door of the apartment slam shut and let out a big breath. I don't even know what to do anymore. I've gotten accustomed to the yelling and fighting between us that it doesn't even faze me.

I get up from the couch and go to the bathroom. I quickly brush my teeth and get ready for the day ahead of me. I put on a pair of dark jeans and a button up shirt. I roll the sleeves to my elbows, grab my wallet, slip on my sunglasses, and leave the small apartment.

I walk down the four flights of stairs to the ground floor because the elevator is broken and push my way out onto the streets of Chicago. I scan the street and the place is already buzzing. People walking in every which direction, car horns, taxis racing back and forth. I turn left and head towards a small, mom-and-pop coffee shop I go to before work.

It's a Saturday, so I didn't think it was necessary to put on my formal work attire. Plus, I kind of own the whole thing, so I can do what I want. I'm in business. The telecommunication business. It's great because I get to do something I've always loved and get paid for it. I started my own business right out of college and it's grown to be one of the biggest in the world. And it's all mine. I'm the CEO and owner of this huge company. I'm loaded.

Sure, I have a ton of money, but I don't necessarily want my girlfriend knowing that. She never questions how the bills get paid and has never once asked what I do for a living. If I told her how much money I really have, she would figure out a way to get her hands on it and spend every last penny.

After walking a few blocks, I finally arrive at the coffee shop, take my sunglasses off, and step in line behind a brunette woman in hospital scrubs.

* * *

I finish my French toast and lick the tips of my fingers that have maple syrup on them. I down the rest of my coffee and jump up to start the day.

"I got to get to the hospital. I have this guy with an aortic aneurysm that hopefully didn't rupture overnight." I say, rinsing off my plate and putting it in the dishwasher.

"I love it when you talk medical to me." Aaron replies, as he walks into the kitchen and does the same with his plate. He gives me a kiss on the temple. "Go, save lives."

I stand on my tiptoes and give him a small peck on the lips before slipping away and scurrying to the bedroom. I open my dresser drawer and pull out a pair of light blue scrubs and slip into them. I slick my hair back into a ponytail, stick my feet in a pair of tennis shoes and grab my purse.

"I'll be back after midnight! Don't wait up." I yell throughout the house before opening the door.

"Love you." Aaron replies before the door shuts and I'm on my way to the elevator. I press the ground floor button and wait in silence until the elevator makes it from the twelfth floor. The elevator dings and the doors open, I make my way to the street and the city was already alive with excitement. I take a deep breath and turn to my right. I start walking towards a small coffee shop a few blocks away from my apartment.

I pull out my phone and check if I actually have enough time to stop there before I head for the hospital. If I walk fast enough there will be just enough time to spare to get to the hospital before my shift starts. I pick up my speed just a little and cross the street.

I soak up the atmosphere around me and realize how lucky I am to have the life that I have. I had always wanted to live in a big city, always wanted to be a surgeon and here I am, having both. Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a doctor like my father, but a different kind of doctor. I didn't want to exactly follow in his footsteps but he was a big impact in why I chose this career field.

I approach the coffee shop and luckily, because it's kind of early, there were only a few people inside. I open the door, hear the small bell and I'm embraced by the scent of freshly ground coffee beans. I step into line behind a tall man in a three-piece suit and grab my wallet out of my purse.

Not even twenty seconds later the bell above the door rings again and I feel a presence enter the building that seems somewhat familiar; I don't know what kind of familiar, though. I don't know whether it's good, bad, or a little bit of both. But, it puts a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I haven't felt since Virginia. A body steps into line behind me and I have to remind myself every few seconds not to turn around and examine the person behind me.

The man in front of me finishes ordering and walks past me with a cup of coffee. He gives me a friendly smile and I hear the bell, indicating that he has left. I step up to the counter, putting more space between me and the person behind me. For some reason, I'm trying to keep my voice low, as to not let anyone recognize the tone I'm giving off. I pay and wait for my coffee to be made.

The barista turns around and goes to work on my coffee, meanwhile I take my purse off of my shoulder and put my wallet back in its designated spot.

I hear a familiar voice. By familiar, it was a voice I had heard years ago. Seven, maybe eight years had gone by. But it can't be her. That's impossible. So I blame it on my imagination and sleepy state.

The woman in front of me got her coffee, thanks the barista, and turns around.

I can't breathe.

Her feet stopped in place.

"Elena?" I say through a strained voice.

"Stefan." She whispers...

* * *

 _ **EIGHT YEARS AGO**_

 _ **MYSTIC FALLS, VIRGINIA**_

I sit in history class on the first day of school with my head resting on my hand and a pencil on the desk. I'm not necessarily paying attention. Okay, I'm not paying attention at all. I'm staring at the guy I have had had a crush on since freshman year of high school. Yeah… I'm a senior now.

I've known Stefan Salvatore all my life since we've both grown up in this small town. But only during freshman year did I see him as anything more than the little boy who grew up next to me and put dirt in my hair. Freshman year he seemed to be getting his shit together. Actually going to school, dressing a little nicer, working out. He's no longer the pale and scrawny Salvatore boy. He definitely is not. I focus my gaze on him and instinctually bite my bottom lip.

Stefan Salvatore. Six feet two inches tall, dirty blonde hair, sun-kissed tan skin, dazzling green-eyed Stefan Salvatore. Sitting in a dark blue v-neck, biceps straining against the sleeves Stefan Salvatore. Gorgeous Stefan Salvatore.

I've never taken an interest in anyone in all my years of high school. I never wanted to take interest. All they are is a bunch of boys looking for sex and nothing else. But there's something about Stefan that I can't pull myself away from. I'm drawn towards him. Except he's exactly like all the other guys here, hell he's probably the worst of them all.

A fuckboy.

That doesn't mean I can't stare and appreciate the piece of work that was graced upon us by the Greek Gods. Sure, most of my daydreams include Stefan in one way or another, but isn't that what girls my age are supposed to do? Dream about boys sweeping them off of their feet and living happily ever after. Yeah, a lot of my fantasies include Stefan sweeping me off of my feet… But, a majority of them consist of him throwing me down on a bed after sweeping me off my feet.

I close my eyes and internally groan thinking about it.

Stefan throws me on a plushy, king-sized bed. He slowly drags my jeans down my legs, lifts my shirt over my head and all I'm left in is a pair of matching black bra and panties. He's standing at the end of the bed, looking down at me and smiling. He peels off his t-shirt and tosses it on the floor beside mine. He's crawling up the bed, between my legs, until he's hovering over me and we're face to face. His sparking green eyes meet my dull brown ones. He smiles at me and leans closer to me, our lips almost touching and

"Miss Gilbert?" Mr. Saltzman raises his voice and I jump. I'm pulled out of my daydreaming and my cheeks turn bright red as the whole class focuses their eyes on me. "Are you with us, Miss Gilbert?"

I meekly nod and a smile out of the corner of my eye catches my attention. I shyly turn my head only a fraction and see him laughing at me. I quickly whip my attention back to the teacher and sink in my chair a little.

"Great, then I assume you can tell me the answer." Mr. Saltzman says through a fake smile.

"What was the question?" I ask quietly. He and the whole class shares a quiet laugh and then he turns back to me.

"A warmup question to see if you know anything that will help you this year. Which amendments pertain to civil rights?" He asks.

"Thirteen through Sixteen." I reply quietly, playing with my hands under my desk.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert" He says sarcastically then turns to the board. He writes the numbers thirteen thru sixteen, each with a colon next to them.

"Who can tell me the specifics of each amendment?" He asks to the class. A girl in the front raises her hand and he calls her name. When she gets caught up in describing each amendment, I start to space out and stare at the clock on the wall. Twenty-three more minutes until I can get out of this hellhole.

The bell rings and I quickly throw my notebook and textbook into my backpack and rush out of the door, leaving behind embarrassment and a certain boy that makes my insides melt. I walk down the hall and stop at my locker, seeing a blonde girl waiting for me.

"Caroline!" I yell and she turns around. When she sees it's me, she gives me her million dollar smile.

"Hey! What's wrong, you look like you're about to throw up. And if you are please turn around before you do, I just got these shoes." She says through her high, feminine voice.

"I'm not gonna throw up" I tell her, spinning the lock on my locker and pulling it open. I throw my history textbook into the locker and close it. "History was so embarrassing today." I say, putting my face in my hands.

"Oh, stop. It can't be any worse than any of the days last year." She laughs.

"I was dazing out again and this time Mr. Saltzman called me out for it and everyone was laughing and _he_ was laughing and ugh!" I explain quickly. Caroline is busy playing with her nails then she looks up at me.

"But… he was looking at you." She says with that look on her face. That he-finally-noticed-you-now-you-should-go-get-on-your-knees-for-him kind of look.

"Caroline," I warn her.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop." She says with the wave of her hand. Her bright blue eyes move from me to something behind me and they widen.

"Caroline, what?" I raise my voice, trying to get her attention. She stays staring and slowly a smile grows on her face. I hear footsteps behind us and remind myself to lower my voice. I'm about to say something when Caroline opens her mouth.

"Hey, Stefan" she says through her bubbly personality as he walks right next to us. "You're coming to the Grille tonight, right?"

"Hey, Caroline. Yeah, I am." He says to her then his head slowly turns to me and he squints his eyes. A small smile plays at the corner of the mouth. "Elena…" He nods and walks away.

I can't breathe. My lungs have suddenly forgotten how to work and I'm frozen in place.

"Elena!" Caroline yells, bringing me back to reality.

"What?" I snap back.

"He's going to the party at the Grille tonight." She says.

"And…?" I reply, wondering where she's going with this.

"And that means you're going! So stop freezing up and let's go, we need to get to the mall and get you a new outfit for tonight." She says, her eyes scanning over me.

"Caroline, I'm not going." I tell her as we start to walk towards the exit.

"Elena Marie Gilbert! It is senior year, and until now you have not done anything fun that has anything to do with school. But, we're going to change that. It's your last chance to do anything and make an impression in this school. So, you're coming tonight and we're going to the mall right now." She practically yells as we walk throughout the school hallway.

"Fine" I say, even though I have absolutely no desire to go tonight.

"Good girl, now let's hurry to the mall. If we get there by three fifteen and leave by five, we'll have enough time to get home and get ready." She explains, looking at her phone and we exit the school into the parking lot.

"Caroline, I can get ready on my own." I almost whine.

"Hush, and let Caroline do her magic, baby." She gives me a sweet smile and unlocks her car.

I huff and plop down in the passenger seat. She starts to pull away and I see him standing next to his car, talking to a couple of guys. I admire his lean figure and the cut of his jaw. His arms are folded on top of his chest and I let my eyes linger over his biceps. As we're about to pull out of the parking lot, he turns around and our eyes meet. He doesn't pull away and neither do I until Caroline turns the corner and he disappears behind a line of trees.

* * *

Two hours later, I'm standing in front of my mirror in a pair of black skinny jeans that are rolled up at the bottom, a black and white striped crop top, and a pair of strappy, pointed-toe high heels. Caroline has curled my hair so large curls hang down my back and she has gone all out with the makeup. I see silvers and dark grays, winged eyeliner, and red lipstick.

"You look so hot." I hear Caroline say from behind me.

I look hot.

I turn around and let my eyes drag over Caroline. She's dressed in a loose, white, knee-length dress with spaghetti straps and tan wedges. She has two small braids on either side of her head and barely any makeup on. She looks gorgeous.

"It's seven-fifty, perfect time for us to leave and show up fashionably late." She says with a tilt of her shoulder. She turns around and grabs her small bag off of my bed and hands mine to me. I throw in the red lipstick, my phone and my credit card.

"Ready?" I ask, meaning it more towards myself but Caroline gives me a nod and walks out of my room. I look in the mirror once more and take a big breath.

"Elena! Come on" Caroline yells from downstairs. I shut my bedroom light off and head down.

We hop in Caroline's car and start on the road. I immediately space out and it only seems like a few minutes until we pull into a parking spot across from the Grille. I get out of the car and let my eyes wander around. It looks like there must be a hundred cars here, probably more people if more than one person rode in each car.

"Let's do this shit." Caroline says and starts strutting towards the door. I follow in her footsteps and hope that we don't bring too much attention to ourselves when we walk through the door. She walks up the three steps to the doors and pulls them both open.

 _So much for not making a scene._ I think to myself, and walk in next to her. She stops when we're right inside the door and slowly, everyone's eyes turn our way. I look over at Caroline and she has an award-winning smile on her face, she loves this kind of attention.

"Caroline, everyone's staring at you." I say and I'm about to walk away when she grabs my arm.

"They're not looking at me, sweetcheeks." She says and walks towards a table. I'm left standing in front of everyone with their eyes on me. I take a deep breath, hold my head high, and walk towards Caroline. I let a small smirk play on my face as I start conversation with Caroline.

"That was so badass!" Caroline yells over the music and a big smile spreads across my lips.

"It felt good." I tell her. "Why haven't I come to more of these things?" I say through a laugh.

"I don't know, but you're not missing another one for the rest of your life." She says and walks off to talk to some guy. I grab my purse and throw it over my shoulder. I walk to the bar and lean over it, trying to get the bartenders attention. He walks towards me and smiles.

"Can I have a water, please." I say. He turns around and grabs a glass and walks to the other end of the bar. Someone comes and stands next to me, very close to me, and leans over the bar as well. When the bartender comes back, I take my glass of water and turn towards the person next to me, ready to walk away.

I'm stopped in my tracks once I see who it is. My lungs forget out to work and my mouth forgets how to speak. My signature move.

"Hi, Elena" Stefan says through a smile, then asks the bartender for a glass of water as well. He turns back to me and raises his eyebrows.

 _Come on, Elena. Get over it. Just say hi, you are not going to freeze up._

"Hey," I say with a shy smile.

"She speaks," he says with a laugh. "Come, let's sit." He says and we walk towards a table in the back of the Grille. Once we're both situated in our seats he takes a sip of his water. "I liked the floor show." He points to the front door and I can already feel my cheeks blushing.

"Well, it's my first party, I had to make an impression." I say through a breathy laugh. He laughs as well and I look up at him. His eyes are sparkling. "Did you need something? Is that why you're talking to me?" I ask and his eyebrows furrow.

"Can't I talk to a gorgeous girl without being accused of an ulterior motive?" He says while dragging his finger around the rim of his glass.

"That's a questionable statement." I tell him, taking a big gulp of water. He laughs and I'm confused.

"You're funny, I like that." He says as an upbeat song comes on. "Dance with me."

"I should find Caroline." I say, getting up from my seat. He grabs my hand as I'm about to walk away.

"Please" he pouts.

 _He's no good, Elena. You know his reputation. Walk away._

"I know about you." His grip on my hand slowly loosens until my hand falls by my side. "You use girls, promise them things you don't mean, then throw them out. I actually know about fifty of you's." I say and his eyes lower away from mine.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He says through a whisper.

"Thank you for the compliment and the polite chit chat. Have a nice night." I say and walk away from him. I immediately spot Caroline with her golden hair and walk up to her.

"Elena!" She turns towards me and smiles. "I saw you talking to Stefan." She nudges me with her shoulder. "What happened?"

"He asked me to dance. I said no." I say calmly. I look over my shoulder and he's still sitting there, staring at his glass.

"What the hell! Why'd you say no?" She yells at me and slaps my arm.

"Because of who he is, Caroline! He'll say all the right things and mean none of them." I say, digging through my small purse, not trying to find anything, just distract myself.

"Elena, it's just one night, one dance. It's not like you're going to be forced to marry him. So just go over there, and live in the now." She says, pointing in the direction of him.

"I already walked away, it will be awkward going back." I make an excuse.

"Oh shove those excuses up your ass, Elena. He won't give a shit. Just go over there, toss your hair, touch his hand and everything in the last ten minutes will be forgotten." She explains.

"Okay, just because it will probably be this time only." I tell her and start to walk away. She grabs my arm and grabs the lipstick out of my purse. She applies it to my lips then puts her hands on my shoulders.

"It was starting to fade. Now, go be a teenage girl." She says, turning me around and pushing me towards him.

I slowly walk up to him and he keeps his head down. It isn't until I'm right next to him that he lifts his head and looks at me.

"On second thought, what harm could one dance do?" I ask, biting my lower lip and holding out my hand. Slowly, a devilish grin spreads across his face and he takes my hand. He stands and pulls me towards the empty floor. I'm not sure who is making these decisions for me, but I like her. There is one thing I know though… I like the feel of his hand in mine.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope some of you are interested enough to continue reading this. I had a severe case of writers block and trying to write LVB was not working for me. I'm on vacation right now, so this is the story I will be updating until I get back home. But, as soon as I do get home, I will alternate between updating this, and updating LVB.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated and if you have any questions, I would love to answer them.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This story will mainly be told in Elena's point of view unless stated otherwise. Enjoy.

* * *

"Stay here, I'll be right back," Stefan says while leaving me in the middle of the dance floor. He walks over the DJ in the corner, who is really just some tech guy from school with a computer, and slips him something. Stefan leans over, whispers in his ear while the guy starts typing on his computer. Stefan turns back and starts walking towards me. He stops and holds out his hand. A slow song starts to play over the speakers of the Grille and he flashes his smile at me.

"Slow song?" I ask, pointing to the ceiling where one of the speakers is.

"It'll give us a chance to talk," he shrugs. "Now, may I have this dance?" he smirks. I roll my eyes at him and place my hand in his. He smiles as he places my other hand on his shoulder, and his other hand on my waist.

"Very formal," I say, gesturing towards the dance position he chose.

"My mother always taught me to be proper while dancing with a lady," he smiles as we start to sway to the rhythm of the song.

"And my mother told me to never trust a man who can dance," I reply quickly, batting my eyelashes and slowly looking up at him. When our eyes meet, his have a flare behind them that seems dangerous and alluring.

"I'm hardly a man, Miss Gilbert," he says through somewhat of a growl.

"What is that supposed to mean, _Mr. Salvatore_?" I emphasize his last name.

"You will find out soon enough," he lowers his look away from me.

"You seem confident that I'll stick around after tonight," I say, becoming self-conscious that he'll want absolutely nothing to do with me after we go our separate ways.

"I'm a pretty confident guy," he brings my gaze back to his and smiles.

"Why?" I ask. His eyebrows draw together and he's clearly confused.

"Why what?" he replies readjusting his grip on my hand.

"Why are you talking to me? You've ignored me the first three years of high school and now you're itching to make conversation and dance with me. It doesn't make any sense," I explain as my words tumble out of my mouth, faster than expected.

"I noticed you last year and wanted to talk to you then," he says quietly. I notice that we've migrated to the middle of the dance floor; a circle of people move out of the way to watch us.

"Then why didn't you?" I whisper, keeping his eyes on mine.

"I'm not a good person. I don't deserve it," he says, a shadow casting over his eyes.

"You don't deserve what?" I ask, silently begging that he'll look back up at me.

"Nothing, I'm sorry I have to go," he says out of the blue, pulling his hand from mine and leaving me in the middle of the Grille, alone. I'm surrounded by people who have just witnessed this and I already feel my cheeks blushing over the embarrassment. I turn my head just in time to see him walking out of the Grille and slamming the door behind him.

I look around and see people staring from every direction. Many of them are laughing. I can't breathe. I'm trying to but nothing will enter. I start to panic and spin around to find Caroline. I spot her at a table on the other side of the room, staring at me with her sympathetic look. I stomp away from the crowd on the dance floor and make my way to her. I snatch my purse off of the table and sling it over my shoulder.

"This is why I don't go to parties," I spit at her before turning around, and practically running out of the Grille.

"Elena!" I hear her shout as the doors close. I don't want to talk right now; I don't want to be followed. I make a sharp turn and head for the sidewalk covered by trees so she won't see me. I cross my arms over my chest. I should've brought a jacket. My vision starts to blur as tears enter my eyes. I wipe them away and take a deep breath.

I will not be the laughing stock anymore. I won't be laughed at in school; I won't be laughed at in the confines of my own town. Something has to change, and it's going to.

* * *

 **Stefan's POV**

I see her exit the Grille in a rush and start walking down the street. I'm sitting in my car, trying to get my thoughts together. I can't ruin her. I'm tempted to get out of my car and catch up with her, apologize for what I did, but I decide against it. I'm about to start my car and ask her if she needs a ride, when I tell myself that that isn't a good idea either. She's too good; too full of light. I'll be damned if I'm the one who puts that light out.

* * *

I look at my phone and see that it's almost nine thirty. It doesn't feel like that much time has passed since Caroline and I arrived at the Grille. But then again, time flies when you're having a good time and it goes slower than molasses when something happens that you want to forget. I walk up to my front door and reach in my purse only to find that I forgot my house key. I leave the porch and walk around to the garage and type in the code, hoping that the garage door leading to the house isn't locked. When I step in, I close the garage door and try the door. Thankfully, mom forgot to lock it tonight.

The only light that is on when I walk in is the kitchen light, meaning that my mom has gone to bed. I quickly dispose of my heels and carry them in my hand as I walk up the stairs.

"Hey, Jer" I say, walking by his room and seeing that he's still awake. I get nothing but a mumble from him as I enter my own room. I throw my heels in the closet and take off my clothes, leaving them on the floor. I walk to my dresser and pull out an oversized t-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. Entering the bathroom, I flip on the light and work on taking my makeup off. When my face is clean, I finally recognize the girl in front of me. I take the contacts out of my eyes and put them in their case. I slip on my glasses, brush my teeth and head to bed.

I switch on the lamp beside my bed and grab my phone from my purse on the floor. I open my messages and there are thirty texts from Caroline. I don't take the time reading them all. I type a short response telling her that I got home fine and that I'll see her at school tomorrow. I take my glasses off and put them on the side table beneath my lamp. I pull the covers up to my chin and lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. I take a few deep breaths and try to rid my mind of what happened earlier tonight. I close my eyes and fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

I wake up to the sound of my blaring alarm and groan. I do not want to get up. It's the second day of school and I already want it to be finished. I throw the comforter off of me and swing my legs off the bed. I sit there, trying to wake up when a thought comes to mind. I felt good at that party, especially when everyone was looking at me. That was the highlight of my evening. I stand up and walk to my closet. Opening the door, I'm met with a bunch of clothes that belong to a girl who doesn't really care about what she looks like. I reach in the back and pull out a few big shopping bags. I close the closet door and set the bags on my bed.

These are all the clothes that Caroline has bought me that I would never wear. Caroline's dad is some big-shot business man that works in the city. She tells me he gets paid a lot, so she always insists on buying me clothes, that she picks out of course. I dump out the contents of each bag and am met with around thirty pieces of clothes. Jeans, shirts, dresses, skirts; of all different colors, styles, and brands. I look at the clock and see that I have about an hour and a half until I have to leave for school. I start picking through the pile of clothes trying to figure out which outfit would make a statement as the new and improved Elena.

When I finally choose my outfit, I return to the back of my closet and pull out a pair of ankle-high boots with a small heel that Caroline had bought me. They go perfectly with my outfit. I set them next to my bed and head to the bathroom to shower, do my hair and apply makeup.

I stand in front of the mirror deciding what to do with myself. I opt for loose curls and minimal makeup. I heat up the curling iron and pull out my makeup bag. I grab out my liquid eyeliner, stick eyeliner, mascara and clear lip gloss. I quickly apply a wing to each of my eyelids, drag the eyeliner over my water line, put mascara on my already long eyelashes, and blot my lips with the clear lips gloss. By the time I finished, my curling iron is hot and ready to go. It doesn't take that long to curl my hair, so by the time I'm finished, I still have forty-five minutes to spare. I grab a black thong and matching bra out of my dresser and slip into those. I walk back to my bed and pick up the pair of light pink skinny jeans and squeeze into them, I bend down and cuff the ankles. I grab the white tank top and slide that on, making sure I show just the right amount of cleavage, then I slip on a long-sleeved jean shirt- left unbuttoned, showing the tank top. I grab a pair of footsie socks from my dresser and slide those on before stepping in my boots.

I walk in front of my mirror and tussle my hair a bit. I examine my face and decide against contacts. I grab my black, square-framed glasses from my bedside table and slip them on. I look back at the mirror and realize that with the glasses, I can either look like a twelve-year old who pushes them up her nose ever five minutes, or, with the right facial expression, I can look like a hot school girl. Maybe I should wear my contacts. They make me look innocent, they let me blend in with the crowd. And blending in means no one's attention will be on me. I take them off and look in the mirror again. No one besides Caroline and my family has seen me in glasses.

 _It's time for a change, Elena._

I put them back on, walk to the bathroom and grab the lip gloss off of the counter. I knock on Jeremy's door on his side of the bathroom and yell that he'll be late if he doesn't get up and shower. I leave the bathroom and grab my bag off of the chair in front of my desk, I throw the lip gloss in and take one last look at myself in the mirror. I smile and walk out of my room.

I told Caroline that I would drive myself to school today, so I grab my keys off of the table right inside the door and walk to the kitchen. I see my mom sitting at the breakfast bar, drinking a cup of coffee and staring out the window above the sink.

"I'm leaving. Make sure Jeremy's up. I yelled at him to wake up but I'm not sure he actually did. I love you. I'll see you tonight," I say quickly, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She merely nods, she doesn't even look at me. I keep my eyes on her until I'm out the door. I walk to the driveway and slide into my white Infiniti G35.

It was the last thing he bought me. It was a late sixteenth birthday present that I got on my seventeenth birthday. He had worked so hard for this and even though I told him I didn't need it, he didn't stop until he could get it.

I immediately drag my mind away from sad memories and focus on getting to school. It's not too late, so I have time to stop by the café to grab a coffee.

When I get there, the place is empty, so I get my coffee in a matter of minutes without waiting in a line. I walk out of the café and hop in my car, knowing that I'll get to school at the prime time and everyone will be there. I don't know why, but before school everyone just hangs out around their cars. It would be so much better inside where there's air conditioning, and cover from the humid Virginia air.

I pull in the parking lot and see a spot open in between a large black truck and a Jeep. I quickly speed down the row and take the spot. I put the car in park and grab my phone from the cup holder. I quickly text Caroline and tell her that I'll meet her at the doors in front of the parking lot. She replies that she's on her way and I lock my phone. I slip it in my back pocket and shut my car off. I open the door and get out, I stand up and pull my pants up to accentuate my backside. I lean down to grab my bag, close the door and lock the car. I look around and see everyone leaning on the hoods of their cars or the bumpers. I put my bag on my shoulder, push my hair over my shoulder and start walking towards the doors. I put a little more sway in my walk than I normally do and see people's head start turning my way.

I smirk a little and wonder what the hell has gotten into me in the past day. Senior year has made me feel like a different person and it's only the second day. Maybe it's the fact that I'm fed up with being embarrassed all the time, or the fact that the guy I've had the biggest crush on since freshman year walked out on me and humiliated me in front of the whole senior class. I've been the same old boring Elena for too long.

I spot Caroline at the doors giving me a smirk and shaking her head. I shrug and she laughs as I let my eyes wander around the parking lot. My smile falters a little bit when I see him, but I make sure that I don't stop walking. I swallow and I keep my eyes on his and clench my jaw. I raise one of my eyebrows at him and walk right by. I make sure to strut a little harder just because of him and finally make it to Caroline. I smile at her and she smiles back.

"What an entrance, Miss Gilbert," she says as she loops her arm through mine.

"I try, Miss Forbes," I say and we laugh, entering the school and head for first period.

First through sixth period flies by and my time in the halls is a blast. Everyone knows the Elena that would wear jeans and t-shirts every day, so this comes as a surprise, to pretty much everyone. I mentally laugh as I walk to my locker, grab my history textbook and make my way to class.

I enter the classroom and there are only a few people sitting in their desks. The late bell doesn't ring for a few more minutes but I decide against finding Caroline and decide on taking my seat amongst the other students instead. Mr. Saltzman looks up and smiles.

"Elena," he says then goes back to reading whatever is on his desk.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Saltzman," I say and pull out a notebook, ready to actually pay attention and take notes. He looks up and scans my desk.

"Glad you're prepared today," he says and turns to his computer. I don't reply because I feel something in my stomach, like immediate nervousness. I don't need to turn around to know that he walked in through the back door. I start doodling on my notebook to keep myself distracted. He sits in the desk two rows away from mine, and greets the teacher.

"Elena," he says quietly. I keep my eyes on my notebook and shift so that I can put my elbow on my desk and turn away from him.

"Elena," he says louder as the rest of the class pours into the room and finds their seats. The late bell rings and a few people come in after it. I straighten in my desk since there are plenty of people between us and focus my attention on Mr. Saltzman. I can see that he's looking at me out of my peripheral and I wish he would stop.

What's the big freaking deal? Why is he trying to talk to me? It was one dance and it meant nothing. I just want him to go back to how he was twenty-four hours ago, ignoring me and I'll go back to staying in my fantasies.

Mr. Saltzman starts the lesson and I immediately start writing down anything that could be important, which is everything in this moment, so my mind doesn't wander to a different place. I'm constantly writing and by the end of class my hand is throbbing. Mr. Saltzman ends the lesson a few minutes before the bell rings, so we have time to pack up. I put my notebook and pen in my bag and get ready to run out of class. I text Caroline and tell her to not wait at my locker for me because I'm going straight to my car and heading home. Mr. Saltzman gave us a reading assignment, so I take my book with me anyway.

The bell rings and Mr. Saltzman says he'll see us tomorrow. I'm the first person out of my seat and quickly walks out of the classroom. I stick my hand in my bag as I reach the doors to find my car keys. I open the door with my hip and head towards my car.

"Elena!" I hear his voice over the chatter of the other people around me. I pick up my speed and make it halfway to my car when he catches up to me. "Elena, would you please just stop,"

I keep looking forward and when I reach my car, I unlock it, opening my door to throw my bag to the passenger seat. He rushes around the other side of the car so that my door is separating us. I'm about to shut the door when he reaches out and grabs it, stopping me from closing it.

"What is your problem?!" I snap, getting out of my car and standing tall. His eyes widen and he seems surprised by my tone.

"I wanted to apologize," he says, keeping eye contact with me. I smile and huff out a small breath of air.

"You don't need to. It was one dance; it meant nothing to me or you," I say and his eyebrows are drawn together. "So just forget about it," I tell him, my voice becoming quieter than when I first spoke. I start to get in my car and he grabs my arm. I take a deep breath and roll my eyes.

"I still want to apologize. I was an ass, I shouldn't have just left," he says and I look up at him.

"Fine, you got it out. Now let me go," I shake out of his grip and get in my car. I pull the door from his grasp and close it. I take a deep breath before starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot. I make myself sound so weak and innocent, but mom taught me to not take shit from people and know when to defend myself. It's not like I'm the helpless little girl that I make myself out to be.

My thoughts switch from Stefan to my mother. She used to be so strong and bright. Her personality shone wherever she went, throughout the entire room. She's been my role model ever since I can remember. But ever since that day, her fire died. Her fire died when he did. I clear my throat and blink until the tears that entered my eyes disappear.

When I get home, mom is still at work and Jeremy hasn't returned from school yet. I rush upstairs and strip out of the clothes and makeup. I find comfort in my big t-shirt and pajama shorts. I go to the kitchen and get something to eat. I make myself a cup of tea before heading back upstairs, opening my laptop to start a new show on Netflix.

I hear footsteps coming up the stairs so I hop out of bed and walk to my door. I see Jeremy treading up the stairs with his backpack.

"Hey," I say, turning his attention to me.

"Hey," he says quietly as he enters his room. I follow him and stand in his doorway.

"I never got to talk to you yesterday. How was your first day?" I ask, trying to have a real conversation with someone in my family.

"It was fine," he says as he puts on his headphones and turns on his Xbox.

I sniffle the tears that threaten to approach and walk back to my room. He blames me. Mom blames me. Hell, I blame me. It's my fault. It's my fault he's not here.

I shut my bedroom and bathroom door, making my way back to my bed. I don't let myself cry often. I want to be strong. I have to be strong for this whole family. But today is not one of those days to be strong. I sob. I haven't cried this hard since that day. I let myself be loud; I let myself whimper because I know that no one can hear me. And I know that no one would care enough to check on me even if they did hear.

But then again, who would care about someone who killed her own father.

* * *

 **Stefan's POV**

I walk into my house and quickly change my clothes. I come downstairs and tell mom that I'm heading to the gym. I grab my gym bag from the garage and hop into my car. I feel like I'm at the gym in record time and I walk inside.

She's been on my mind all day and I don't understand why. I noticed her at the end of last year and felt something different than what I feel when I look at other girls. It's no secret that I'm sexually active, very sexually active. I smirk to myself at the thought. But when I saw her, I didn't have the desire to rip her clothes from her body. Well, yes I had that thought, but that wasn't the only thing that came to mind. She looked so sad, so broken. But even though she looked like that, she had a light inside of her, a good light. I shake my head and get rid of that thought. That's exactly why I can't ruin her. I put myself back on the dance floor with her.

I enter the gym and swipe my membership card, momentarily interrupting my thoughts. I take my bag to the locker room and leave it in a cubby. I walk towards the corner of the big room where the punching bags are kept. I see my trainer there, working with someone else since it's not our assigned day. I pull my black, fingerless gloves on and tighten the Velcro around my wrists. I stretch, then stand in front of a black punching bag. I throw a punch and when I pull my hand back, she flashes in my mind. I throw another one and a picture of her eyes comes to mind.

I looked in her eyes and felt like I could really see her. She's good—so good. I can see it in her eyes. I felt something in me that was foreign; something that I haven't felt many times before. She's broken, but she can be fixed. She's the good kind of broken. She's the kind of person who can get better; the kind of person who doesn't stay broken forever. This is why I can't have anything to do with her.

I throw my hand at the punching bag.

Me… Well, I'm the wrong kind of broken. I'm the kind of broken that can never be fixed. I'm broken beyond repair. All thanks to my fucked up childhood.

I punch the bag and my hand stings.

"Shit," I hiss under my breath. I look towards my trainer, Matt is his name, and he tilts his head. I shake my head, telling him "not today". I don't want talk, I want to lose myself in something, but working out isn't helping. I give up on the punching bag and move to the treadmill. I turn the speed up until I'm practically sprinting. I hear my feet pounding on the treadmill, but I'm so spaced out, I don't feel my legs. They don't start to hurt like they normally do so I keep going.

I run until the thought of her leaves my head and someone hits the stop button on the treadmill. I look over and Matt is looking at me with concerned eyes.

"Would you like to be able to walk tomorrow?" He asks and I step off the treadmill.

"What?" I say through heavy breathing, now realizing my tank is drenched in sweat.

"You're going to be sore as hell tomorrow with all that sprinting," he laughs at me and pats me on the back. I flinch. He notices and walks away.

I go back to the locker room and grab my phone from my bag. It's four thirty. I didn't think I had been running for so long. I put my bag on my shoulder and realize that the running didn't do shit. I still have this itching in me that needs to be scratched. I leave the locker room and head for the front doors. I swipe my card again, saying that I've signed out and head to my car. I throw my bag in the passenger seat and lay my head against the headrest. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths.

I open my eyes and reach for my phone. I pull up a new message and type in her name. _Meet me at our place in thirty._ I exit out of the message and lock my phone, waiting for a reply. I turn my car on and hear the ding of my phone. I unlock it and open the message: " _K._ _ **"**_

I put my car in drive and whip out of the parking lot. This is all I know how to do. It's normal for humans. I do this because it's empty, nothing attached. Not like I deserve attachment anyway. This is all I want to do. I don't know anything else. I grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white and press on the gas.

* * *

I walk downstairs for dinner and see a plate left out on the kitchen counter for me. Mom and Jeremy obviously ate without me. I'm not hungry, but I heat up the plate and take it to my room anyway, not wanting to upset mom.

It's six thirty and I'm ready to go to sleep. It was a long day. It started great and gradually got worse, but tomorrow will be a new day with a clean slate. I was taught from the time I could understand words that every day is a new chance and to not be affected of the events of the day before. I clear my head of today and close my eyes. I'm emotionally exhausted and don't really care if I fall asleep right now. I let my mind wander and his face appears.

For a second, I let myself pretend that I didn't talk to him, that nothing happened between us at all. I pretend that I'm still the girl with a crush and that he's the guy who wouldn't give me the light of day. I pretend that he didn't get my hopes up of us possibly being something more. I groan, throwing the comforter off of me. I reach over and grab my phone. I go through my contacts and press on Caroline's name.

"Hey, Lena," she says.

"Can you come over?" I ask, switching on the lamp by my bed.

"Sure, I'll be there soon," she says.

"Thanks, bye," I tell her, hanging up the phone.

Ten minutes later I hear Caroline let herself into my house and walk up the stairs. She enters my room and drops her purse on the floor. She smiles and flops down on the bed next to me.

"What's up," she says, crossing her legs in front of me.

"Tell me I'm not crazy," I ask her. She laughs and tosses her hair over her shoulder.

"You're not crazy," she says, placing her hands on my legs. "Why am I telling you that?"

"Because of him," I start, she gives me a puzzled look and I continue. "One minute, he doesn't talk to me-barely knows who I am, then the next minute he's talking to me and asking to dance. Why the sudden change? I know he's probably just trying to use me to get sex, but why now? And he could have any girl who would easily give it up to him." I ramble on.

"Sometimes things just happen, Elena. Things are one way this day and a different way on another. You're not crazy because a guy talked to you. And if he's smart, which I heard he is, he would be an idiot to use you. Maybe he's done with just being a one night stand with people. I don't know. But don't overthink it, Elena, you overthink everything. Just let whatever happens, happen. Go with the flow," she says, easing my nerves a little bit.

"Just go with the flow," I repeat her words and she smiles.

"Let's watch a movie," she says, grabbing my laptop and opening it. She keeps talking and I start to tune her out because I'm too busy thinking about a pair of green eyes that had me trapped from the beginning, wherever the beginning was.

* * *

 **Stefan's POV**

We finish almost at the same time and I push her off of me, setting her down in the passenger's seat. I take off the condom and tie a not in the end, I throw it on the floor of my car and make a mental note to throw it in a trash can that's not my house. I look over at her and she's smiling, sitting on her knees with her shorts tossed on the ground and her shirt halfway up her body.

"How are you so good at that?" She asks through a husky voice. I shrug and release a small laugh. "You have a way about being so rough, that makes it so great. Even in a car," She laughs and moves to touch my arm and I pull away from her. I look at her with masked emotions and she lowers her hand immediately.

"You know not to," I warn her.

"Why not?" She asks and I brush her off. "Why don't you talk to me, Stefan? We've known each other for three years and been fucking since the beginning. Why can't you talk to me?" She asks me, her voice sounding desperate.

I don't talk because I would never share something so fucked up with someone else. That's why I don't talk to you; why I don't talk to anyone. My fucked up childhood deserves to stay a secret. No one needs to hear a story so cruel. I let my mind go back to what I remember the most and immediately regret it.

 _A kick to the ribs._

 _A punch to my face._

 _His stomach moving against my back._

I heave at the thought and am thankful that she's turned around so she won't see me almost throw up over the thought of my past. She turns back to me and tucks her hair behind her ear.

"Do you wanna go again or should I leave?" She asks. I pull up my gym shorts and turn the car on.

"Just go, Liv," I whisper looking straight forward. I can feel her eyes on me, but eventually she grabs her shorts and slides into them. She opens the door, and I see her look at me one last time before she shuts the door and gets in her car. I hear the roar of her engine as she starts her car and wait a few minutes before turning my head to make sure she left. The parking lot overlooks a small lake with a forest on the other side. I come here when I need to clear my head or get away from everyone.

I hit my steering wheel with my hands and lean my head back. I breathe and try to calm myself down. But right now, the lake can't calm me. Not while I remember Liv being on top of me with her blonde hair and blue eyes and all I could think about was a broken girl with a bright light shining behind her brown eyes.

* * *

 **A/N:** Everything will come together as the story goes along, so I hope you stick around to find out.

As always, favorites, follow, and reviews are greatly appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, school got crazy. Next chapter will pretty much just be full of fluff.**

 _ **CHICAGO, ILLINOIS**_

 _ **PRESENT DAY**_

I fall through the front door of the coffee shop and make a quick left towards the hospital. I throw my cup of coffee in a passing trashcan, not in the mood for the comfort it usually brings me. I try to keep my shaking hands pressed close to my body and focus on getting my breathing under control. My feet are walking for me, almost as if subconsciously taking me in the direction I need to go. I haven't seen him in eight years. Eight years since I watched him walk away from me; the last image I have of him being his back fading into the distance. Now, I've left him with the same thing, abandoning him back in that coffee shop.

"Elena!" I hear from behind me. My blood freezes and my brain stops working. I'm a jumble of shaky unorganized thoughts. "Elena, please!" I hear again. His voice is getting louder and that familiar hum of vibration that would always run through my body when I was with him is getting stronger. I put my head down, watching my own feet move swiftly over the sidewalk.

It wasn't my smartest move, especially when I knocked shoulders with a passing businessman, sending my purse off my shoulder and spilling the contents of it onto the Chicago sidewalk. I quickly drop to my knees and gather as much stuff as I can. When a pair of feet stops right next to me, I'm afraid to look up. I know who they belong to, of course, but I don't want to see him. I watch as his feet are replaced with his knees and he grabs a couple of the things that fell from my purse. I watch my shaking hands and will them to stay still.

"Elena," he whispers and I suck in a breath. I know he heard it; it would've been impossible not to with him being so close. "Elena, please," he says again. "Baby, look at me." He says, barely audible. My head snaps up and I'm met with the emerald green eyes I fell in love with as a seventeen-year-old girl.

"Excuse me?" I snap. "Don't call me that."

"Elena, you're being irrational," he says, handing me the things in his hands.

"I'm being irrational? Leave me alone." I quickly shove my purse full and stand up, effectively leaving him kneeling on the sidewalk. I look back as I turn a corner to the hospital and see him in the same position I left him in. I take a deep breath and turn my gaze towards the sunrise gleaming against the skyscraper's windows.

I walk a few more blocks until I enter the hospital and head up to the surgery floor. I reach in my purse for my identification card and find the pocket I usually keep it in completely empty. I rummage through my purse and it comes up empty. I'm assuming my card fell out onto the street when I dropped my purse and that by now it's been picked up and thrown away or kicked into a sewer drain. I walk to the front desk and smile at the secretary, Bonnie. Her and I have become pretty good friends since I started working here a few years ago. She knows everything about every secret - every boring detail and me. My best friend from back home, Caroline, would walk to Chicago and beat the shit out of me if I ever tried to replace her, if we're being honest.

"Hey, Bon, I guess I misplaced my I.D. card. Can I have the book to sign in?" I ask her and she smiles, opening a drawer to her left and pulls out a large black binder.

"Here you go, Elena," she says before handing me a pen as the phone starts to ring. I quickly scribble my name down and head through the double doors to the Resident's lounge. Every day I walk down this hallway and every day I have the same thought. I'm so young to be a Resident, most people are still in their end years of school at this age, but that's where hard work, dedication, and not sleeping for three days straight at least once a month gets you. Now this is where I am, about to turn twenty-seven years old, a surgical resident at the best hospital in the city, and engaged to the man I love more than anything.

A dark cloud moves over my happy thoughts. The one person I never wanted to see again is jumping in on my perfect life in this perfect city and I'm afraid it's all going to come crashing down. No. I stop that train of thought right there. Just because he lives in the same city as me does not mean he's going to ruin my life. I wouldn't let him close enough to even try.

I put my purse in my cubby and pull my phone out to send a quick text to Aaron, needing just a little comfort. _I love you._

I set my phone down and put my hair up in a ponytail and grab my scrub cap from the hook in my cubby. When I pick my phone up, there's a reply from Aaron. _I love you more._

I take a deep breath and smile, locking my phone and sticking it in my purse. I make sure not to forget my pager and clip it on my pants, then I'm out the door and heading towards the OR board to see when, where, and what kind of surgery I'm performing today.

 **STEFAN'S POV**

She ran away before I got to give back her I.D. card. Now I'm left with a picture of the brown-eyed angel I had broken long ago burning a hole in my pocket.

She did it. She made her dreams come true. I remember how she would spend hours talking about how she wanted to become a surgeon at some big hospital in a big city. She never thought she was smart enough, but I did. She's the smartest person I've ever known. She's still so young and she's already accomplished so much. She's turning twenty-seven soon and it says on her I.D. card that she's already a resident? That's crazy. I wonder if she just completely skipped over being an intern or what happened that made her move forward so fast.

I'm a little startled by the amount of knowledge I remember her talking about. She always thought I was never listening to her, but boy did I listen to everything that came out of her pretty little mouth. I was just so in awe of how she spoke, the words she used, the things she knew that I made sure to tuck into a special part of my brain so I'd never forget.

I walked back to the coffee shop to get my morning coffee and then headed in the direction of the hospital she works at. I've been waiting for this moment for the past eight years - for when fate would finally be on our side and we would bump into each other. They say if it's meant to be then it will happen. Well, I don't think its just coincidence that we bumped into each other in the same mom and pop coffee shop after eight years of not seeing one another.

I walk up to the hospital and push open the door. I'm met with the smell of sanitation cleaner and hospital food. I look to my left and see a small directory. I search for the surgery level and then head for the elevators. I press the button for floor seven and grab Elena's I.D. card from my pocket. I'm looking at her staff picture and she still looks as beautiful as the day I first saw her, almost eleven years ago when we were both juniors. I rub my thumb over her picture, remembering the way she felt under my fingertips when my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket and see that it's Liv. I press the lock button to stop the vibrations and shove the phone back in my pocket. I move my attention back to Elena as the elevator dings and the doors open.

I'm met with a young woman with light brown skin and chocolate eyes sitting at a desk directly in front of the elevators. I strut towards the desk and slip the I.D. card back in my pocket, not letting her see it and just take it from me. No, I need to see Elena again. I want to be the one to give it back to her.

"Hi there, Sir, how may I help you?" She asks in a sweet voice. I smile at her and finger my wallet in my back pocket.

I slide my scrub cap off of my head as I walk down the main hall of the surgery floor. I take a deep breath and move my head side to side in an attempt to crack my neck. I feel great. Surgery always does that to me. It puts me in a great mood - gives me an adrenaline high. I walk by the front desk and smile at Bonnie.

"How'd surgery go, Elena?" She asks and I stop walking to lean against the desk and smile.

"Great, Mrs. Corelli should recover just fine." I say, stuffing my cap into my back pocket.

"Your next surgery isn't for what, an hour and a half?" She asks and I nod my head.

"Yep, I'm clipping an aneurysm," I say a little bit too excited.

"Sounds exciting." She raises one of her eyebrows. "Oh, you have a consult waiting for you in 738," she says nonchalantly, typing away on her computer.

"Did you page me? I didn't get it if you did," I say looking down at my pager to check if it was still charged.

"No, he wanted me to tell you when I saw you," she says and I get confused.

"He?" I ask, moving behind the desk to be closer to her.

"Yeah, told me to just tell you to go see him when you have the time, which you do now. Room 738, go," she says, patting my butt.

"What did he look like?" I ask, knowing it's probably not him but just checking.

"He's a patient, Elena, just go," she says and the desk phone rings, ultimately ending our conversation. I grab an empty patient chart and clipboard from the desk and head down the hallway.

I knock twice before entering the room and stop in my tracks. Low and behold, there he is sitting at the end of the hospital bed, his leg shaking up and down like they always did when he was nervous. His head snaps up and I lose my breath a little when those green eyes land on me. They still have the same effect on me almost nine years later as they did the first time I saw them. I take a few more steps into the room and shut the door behind me.

I'm not even shocked anymore. I'm not nervous and scared like the old me. Now, I'm annoyed and irritated. I was doing completely fine without him in my life and I will do completely fine again when he gets out of my life, for the second time. I just want him gone.

"What do you not understand about the words leave me alone?" I ask him in a sharp tone. "And you have the nerve to show up where I work?!" He stares at me through misty eyes for what seems like an uncomfortably long time.

"There it is," he says in a low voice.

"There what is?!" I ask, focusing on keeping my voice down low so no one else in the hospital hears me.

"The fire I brought out of you a long time ago." He moves his eyes up and down my body. I can't help but feel a small flicker of heated desire start in my stomach. Reminding me of how he once made me feel. "I'm glad it's still there," he whispers and the fire dies and is replaced with anger.

"That has nothing to do with anything so please get out and leave me alone," I say, turning around and heading for the door. "And how did you even get a consult. You kind of need surgery to be able to see me."

"There's nothing money can't do," he says as my hand reaches for the handle. "I just came to give you this."

I lower my hand from the door and turn around to see him holding out my I.D. card. I walk back over and reach for it, clipping it on to my scrub top.

"What are you specializing in?" He asks in a hushed tone.

"Neuro," I reply quickly. "Thank you, Stefan." I turn around, but his hand reaches out and grabs my wrist.

"Say my name again." He sounds like he's pleading. "Please," he whispers.

"Stefan…" He inhales a sharp breath and I feel tears form in my eyes. "You should go." I pull my wrist from his grasp and walk towards the door again, blinking the moisture away.

"Elena, please just talk to me. Let me talk. Let me explain. Anything." The words tumble from his mouth - words that I wanted to hear once upon a time, a long time ago.

"It's been eight, almost nine years, Stefan. There's nothing to talk about," I say softly.

"Have dinner with me. Let me do all the talking. Please." He begs. I turn around and look up to his eyes. He always gave everything away with those eyes. He thought he was slick and cool, but really one look at those emerald gems and I knew everything. Right now, he was desperate. I could tell because I knew him. I knew him better than anyone. There was warmth in his eyes.

"I'm engaged," I whisper. I didn't mean for those words to come out. That was the last thing I wanted him to hear. I desperately try to say something else. My mouth is left open and I'm making incoherent noises like an idiot. I look back up to him and immediately see the warmth slip from his eyes and become replaced with a calm and collected mask that took me months to break through. "I'm sorry," I whisper so quiet that I'm not sure he heard me. I don't even understand what I'm apologizing for.

"Congratulations," he replies in a voice so devoid of any type of emotion I feel as if ice water has been thrown in my face. He pushes past me and I get a whiff of his cologne, the same one he wore in high school. I inhale a big breath and then exhale.

"Stefan," I say, turning around. He opens the door and heads down the hallway. "Stefan, stop being immature and come here." He ignores me and turns the corner, heading for the elevators. I take a shortcut through an office to my right and beat him to the elevators., standing in front of the call button as he approaches.

"Move," he says coldly.

"No," I say back with just as much strength in my voice.

"Elena, you're being a child. Move, now," he says trying to reach behind me, but I swat his hand away.

"You're the one who ran away from me," I say, hoping he'll look up at me. He never does.

"Because there's nothing for me to say. You're gone," he whispers.

"You seemed to have a lot to say about five minutes ago," I say, putting my hands on my hips.

"Well the courage has fled. It was a mistake coming here," he says, making another attempt at the call button and failing.

"Stefan—," I start before a beep on my hip distracts me.

"Dr. Gilbert, they need a neuro consult in the E.R.," Bonnie says from behind Stefan.

"Yeah, I got it, Bonnie," I snap.

"Go, save lives," he whispers as I move away from blocking the call button. He pushes the down and almost immediately the elevator in front of us opens. He steps in and then turns around to face me. The emotionless mask falls from his face and I don't think he knows it. I can see everything going through his head right now. "Goodbye, Elena."

"Goodbye, Stefan," I whisper, not sure if he heard me or not.

The door closes on the man I thought that I was going to love for the rest of my life, feeling more like a goodbye than when he actually left me.

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. I lost my last two patients of the day, which put me in a down mood for a while, but right now I'm kind of neutral. Not sad, not happy, not angry, not anything. Unfortunately, my mind has thought about Stefan more times in the last eight hours than I have in the last eight years. That's not why I lost my last two patients though; I would never go into an operating room with a jumbled head. I leave all of that outside.

Now it's two in the morning and I'm walking down the hallway to my apartment feeling like I could fall asleep at any moment. I'm emotionally and physically exhausted from the day that I just had. I unlock the front door and am met with darkness. Not even a kitchen light left on. I slowly make my way to the bedroom and slip into the connecting bathroom. I shut the door before turning on the light. I'm met with a very tired looking Elena in the mirror and decide to take a quick shower before I get into bed.

I turn on the water and quickly strip out of my scrubs. The water warms quickly so I step in and release a deep breath at the stress relieving hot water. I rub shampoo through my hair and wash my whole body. I rinse my hair and stay under the running water with my eyes closed. I let my mind drift to places it shouldn't go - ever.

I imagine Stefan in the shower with me. I imagine what life would be like if it were Stefan lying out in the bed I'm about to go to sleep in. I imagine if it were Stefan making me French toast every morning. I imagine if the ring on my finger were from Stefan. I imagine what our wedding would be like; what every day life would be life. Right now, I'm trying so desperately to convince myself that there's not even a small part of me somewhere that doesn't still love him.

The bathroom door opening jerks me out of my thoughts, thankfully, and I'm met with my Aaron. My gorgeous, loving, kind fiancé. There's no one I could want more in life. He's perfect and my life with him is and always will be perfect. I've loved him for the last six years of my life and I can't imagine not loving him for the rest of it.

"Baby, you've been in the shower for a while," he says groggily. I woke him up.

"I woke you up. I'm sorry." I say, turning off the water and grabbing my towel from the hook outside the curtain.

"No, I woke up when you walked in the room. I figured I'd wait for you but you were taking a while," he says, leaning against the counter in his boxers.

"You could've stayed in bed. I would've eventually made my way there," I say with a shy smile. He reaches out and runs the back of his hand across my cheek.

"I can't stay away from you, don't you know that?" He lays a sweet kiss on my lips and then backs away. I reach for my hairbrush and quickly run it through my wet locks.

"Go lay down. I'm right behind you," I tell him, turning the lights off in the bathroom, opting not to do my nightly ritual before bed. I quickly walk over to my dresser and pull out a pair of underwear and an oversized t-shirt. I drop my towel and slip into my pajamas. I quickly rap my hair in my towel and turn back towards the bathroom. "I forgot to brush my teeth. I'll be right back," I say, entering the bathroom.

I turn the light on, but leave the door open. I grab my toothbrush next to his, which puts a trace of a smile on my face, then grab the toothpaste. I squeeze toothpaste on my brush, put it under the water and then begin brushing my teeth. I look up at the mirror and stare directly into my eyes. I cock my head and think of what it would look like for Stefan to be behind me right now. His hands around my waist and his cheek pressed against mine. I shake my head and shut down that thought real quick. I spit the toothpaste out, rinse my brush, and wipe my mouth. Shutting the light off, I leave the bathroom, leaving behind the thought of a man from my past.

I slide in on my side of the bed and feel Aaron's arm wrap around my waist. He presses a kiss to the back of my head and hums a sigh of content. I grab the hand that's on my waist and put my fingers between his.

"I love you," he whispers in my ear.

"I love you, too," I reply immediately.

He fell right back into a deep sleep and I was left with my thoughts. I came up with a new mantra that I repeated until the words felt unfamiliar and the darkness of sleep pulled me in.

 _I love Aaron Whitmore. I love Aaron Whitmore. I love Aaron Whitmore._

 **A/N: As always, favorites, follows, and reviews are much appreciated.**


End file.
